Precision Cut: Art of Extraordinary – Jewellery & Watch Magazine | Jewellery news, jewellery fashion and trends, jewellery designer reviews, jewellery education, opinions | Wrist watch reviews

In an article revealed in InColor (ICA Journal) after which republished by Jeweller Journal, the good artist gem cutter Victor, Tuzlukov concludes: “I dare say that those that are courageous sufficient to pursue high quality in faceting and grading will make historical past”. Certainly, I guess on this manner too.

Because the start of the world, minerals, valuable stones and diamonds have been dealt. Nevertheless, they solely turn into fascinating in Occident because the first well-known service provider, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, introduced some Golkonda diamonds again from Persia. Diamonds greater than well-known at this time, corresponding to “The Regent” (Louvre Museum, Paris) or “The Hope”(Smithsonian Institute, Washington). His most important clients have been King Louis XIV and European excessive ranked nobles by extension, higher to say a small area of interest market.

On the flip of the 18th Century, new diamond mines have been found in Brazil, and once more within the 19th Century in South Africa. Then, diamonds turned widespread amongst all aristocracy, small noblesse, and even bourgeoisie. Their profusion made costs shut down drastically. It was then the start of the economic period, coming with the start of middle-classes.

From 20th Century till in the present day, the gemstone business has come to its climax, providing to shoppers all the things capable of be mined, as ugly as it might be, alongside every thing that may be reproduced artificially as properly. Saucepan sellers turned themselves to gems sellers, con males and fraudsters entered into the enterprise in giant numbers, even the Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio made himself a purveyor of artificial diamonds.

Uninterested in these abuses, middle-class shoppers turned their backs on the gemstone business as quickly as they understood low cost purchased can’t equate to high quality gem stones, they understood they can’t afford the moon for a handful peanuts. Moreover, the 2008 economical disaster helped them to run away from these sort of acquisitions as a result of the longer term was not clear sufficient, not clear anymore.

The Market has drastically modified since then, small to medium sized sellers not prepared to vary their business habits have been kindly squeezed out of market. Like expert retailers, courageous shoppers turned extra connoisseurs, extra demanding about gem high quality and rarity, extra demanding about attractive shade, excessive readability, and the best precision reduce. That’s certainly the way forward for this enterprise. A distinct segment market definitely, however the sole and distinctive. Undoubtedly. Virtually the identical market as 4 centuries in the past.

Certainly, the historical past of diamonds and valuable stones is ancestral, the most important first act being Golkonda diamonds introduced again to Europe by Tavernier, because the start of a world enterprise.

Colored gems adopted the identical path and, for lack of actual gemological information, are for instance, all referred to as rubies, insofar as they’re purple in fact. That is notably the case for spinels and garnets. In truth, the consecration of coloured stones is usually established across the 19th Century, due to the fabulous Burmese rubies and the breathtaking Kashmir sapphires. That is in all probability the second spotlight of this companies historical past.

In the present day, on account of gemological science, gems haven’t any extra secrets and techniques for us. We all know their crystalline system, their forms of inclusions, from which we will even decide their geographical origin. But a 3rd historic occasion is being born, moderately than revolutionised: the Artwork of Chopping!

For hundreds of years, Europeans have remained the uncontested masters of stone-cutting, together with in Persia, the place some Venetians emigrated even earlier than the opening of the Indian street. In reality, the primary vital historic occasion within the artwork of gemstone chopping comes across the 15th Century, within the discovery of absolute symmetry, mixed with a big enhancements in sprucing, emanating from the Belgian Louis de Berquen. Originally of the 20th Century, Marcel Tolkowsky introduced new
modifications to prism by calculating splendid angles of reflection of sunshine by way of the stone. This was particularly seen within the diamond, and at the moment has even be tailored to spinels and garnets that profit from the identical implausible and sophisticated cubic crystalline system, which extra exactly, explains their sensational shine, even within the uncooked state.

What actually issues to us right now is the revolution within the Artwork of Slicing with the arrival of “Precision Minimize”. This phenomenon follows and pursues the identical views as these of the key artwork work market basically. Certainly, largely dominated by Europeans, the consecration of the American painter Robert Rauschenberg on the Venice Biennale in 1964 sounded the top of European supremacy in cultural issues. Pop Artwork was born beneath the impetus of French talking Italian-American service provider Leo Castelli, related to the sensible curator Alan Solomon of the Jewish Museum in New York. Critics have been firing from all sides and diatribes have been virulent. Half a century later, the Artwork market has turn into international, but it stays largely dominated by artists and collectors of American origin.

So far, it stays very troublesome to find out the precise origin of the revolution within the artwork of gemstone slicing and the contribution of “Precision Reduce”, however there isn’t a doubt that the large a part of its supply is American, together with artists and collectors as nicely. The remainder of the world will comply with, for positive, even when it takes a bit time, as a consequence of information travelling slower than anything. Collectors and buyers are already seated within the practice of this revolutionary market, some jewelry designers too. Well-known worldwide jewelry manufacturers may also shortly get on the practice, though slower, with none doubt. At this degree, there’s nevertheless no cause accountable them for his or her slowness as a result of these giants of business can’t
transfer some other approach than as an elephant, perhaps on the sole exception of visionary entrepreneurs like Bernard Arnault, who snap their fingers to offer an order after which takes the lead as typical.

Personally, as a modest service provider of pebbles, I to start with have just a little curiosity within the phenomenon, particularly due to the primary proven fact that any such chopping and sprucing stays very demanding in uncooked materials, and that it decreases dramatically the ultimate weight of the stone in comparison with classical minimize, typically referred to as “native” in America. However mentalities are altering and the modest service provider of pebbles that I’m pleased to be has however additionally turn into just a little collector on the sides, and what higher than to gather the cream of the cream !?

Illustration: Pink Tourmaline from Congo 27.62 Carats, Royal Cushion Minimize by Victor Tuzlukov pictured in entrance of a masterpiece signed Egon Schiele. Assortment: GemsByJB, Geneva (Switzerland)

Very gifted high-precision gem-cutters at the moment are constructing their fame as main artists resembling Amedéo Modigliani or Claude Monet have carried out earlier than them by way of competitions and artwork festivals. We’re not speaking concerning the Salon des Indépendants in
Paris or the Venice Biennale, however competitions such because the Spectrum Gold Slicing Edge Award organized by the American Gem Commerce Affiliation (AGTA), the Gemmy Competitors organized by the Lapidary Journal Jewellery Artist, the Coloured Stone
Magazines, and different competitions sponsored by america Faceters Guild (USFG).

These high-precision gem-cutters already famend, such because the undisputed Russian Grand Grasp Victor Tuzlukov, are the artists of tomorrow, the artists of the gem-cutting of whom it’s crucial immediately to gather stones that they’ve minimize. That is additionally true of their deceased predecessors John Sinkankas and Stephen Kotlowski, Masters whose minimize stones have reached astronomical costs, no matter their nature, though predilection was already going to spinels, garnets and tourmalines.

A brand new era is born. It perpetuates and perpetuates much more the magnificence of the coloured stones. This era is American for probably the most half, with names akin to, Jeff White, John Dyers, Derek Katzenbach and lots of others, typically very discreet of their work, wishing to stay nameless of their workshop.

Illustration: Purple Mahenge Garnet 10.39 Carats, Vintage Cushion Reduce pictured in entrance of the masterpiece, Salvator Mundi signed Leonardo da Vinci. Assortment: GemsByJB, Geneva (Switzerland)

For the layman, the factor is straightforward; Allow them to take such a stone reduce in hand, after which one will perceive … that G’od is wanting into our eyes, chatting with us with benevolence and broods us with a diabolical pleasure. It’s a spiritual phenomenon, a prayer. It’s an erotic, virtually sexual phenomenon. It’s a terrific renaissance, somewhat dying, in any case a wonderful orgasm.

Many essential collectors and buyers throughout the globe understood the phenomenon that may make historical past sooner or later. They turned the connoisseurs whereas huge respected high-end jewelry teams proceed to say that precision reduce gems are usually not accomplished for them, particularly in Europe. However not for a very long time anymore. For positive.

However, we are literally dwelling in a really lively and historic time within the historical past of gems as a result of gem-cutting has turn out to be an artwork, perhaps not a serious artwork in accordance with the definition of ancients, however definitively an artwork, an artwork extremely above the only craftsmanship.

Personally, as a service provider of pebbles as named by my younger son, I’m on the practice which has departed at excessive velocity. Right here might be crucial motion of my supplier’s life and I really feel myself so proud and dedicated, not solely seeing my pal Victor Tuzlukov releasing a collector’s gemstone into the arms of Pope Franciscus in Roma, but in addition as a result of precision reduce gems are the only attainable way forward for the gemstone enterprise. A distinct segment certainly, but in addition the world of excessive expert artisans. Mine.

What about you?